How Much Do Your Birds Sell For?

[PluckyClucker99]

Hello, I am just starting to get into meat birds. Next spring, I plan to purchase 4-6 Cornish X's to raise and sell a pair or two at our local 4-H small animal auction. My question is, this year there were two pairs of Cornish X's sold by different kids. One pair went for $130, and the other $170. Now I realize these pairs were probably purchased by friends/family and that is a lot more than can be expected, but I would just like to know what the going price is for a pair of Cornish X's at an auction.

 

[KlopKlop]

It probably depends where you are at. Livestock (live or hanging) sells for drastically different prices towards the coasts as opposed to where I live in MN.
For example I think here in MN the most I have seen pasture raised broilers (4-5 lbs butchered) sold for is around $18-20

 

[Sabz]

Checkout this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1008980/can-i-turn-a-profit-raising-cornish-x-chickens

There is someone explaining with numbers and makes a lot of sense.

On my side, I calculated my cost and I am between 9 and 11$ per bird, so I know I need to sell above this mark

 

[PluckyClucker99]

It probably depends where you are at. Livestock (live or hanging) sells for drastically different prices towards the coasts as opposed to where I live in MN.
For example I think here in MN the most I have seen pasture raised broilers (4-5 lbs butchered) sold for is around $18-20

Well, I live in a small town in Wisconsin with not a lot of chicken farmers around. The kids sell the birds live, and the buyer has the option of taking it home live (which happens almost never) or having it processed through the seller then delivered in a week or two later. I just can't believe a bird would sell for $65+ live.

 

[KlopKlop]

Well, I live in a small town in Wisconsin with not a lot of chicken farmers around. The kids sell the birds live, and the buyer has the option of taking it home live (which happens almost never) or having it processed through the seller then delivered in a week or two later. I just can't believe a bird would sell for $65+ live.

I agree with your thought that it was probably friends or family supporting an up and coming 4h-er

I used to see that when I was in 4h years ago too

 

[MichaelZ13]

In addition to what I raised, I purchased 6 birds from a kid at church for $3 a pound. My cost of raising my own came to a little over $1.60 a pound, but I had no losses. One time many years back I ended up losing 1/4 of my birds in the last week - that sure jacks up your cost! Probably a cost of closer to $2 a finished pound is more typical. From what I have read, $4 a finished pound is fairly common as a price to charge or pay.

 

[PluckyClucker99]

Thanks everyone! I can't wait to start raising meat birds! Is there an ideal weight to butcher the birds or is it dependent on age?

 

[KlopKlop]

I did 28 CornishX this year. The CXs were processed in 2 batches one at 9weeks @6.5 lbs 'hanging weight' and 11weeks @ 9.5-10.5 lbs 'hanging weight'

Hanging weight means plucked, eviscerated, legs/necks/tails/wing tips removed and not including giblets.

I think the rule of thumb is you lose about 25% of live weight during processing. If you are selling them you should aim for the 4-6 lb processed weight as people seem to be turned off by the giant birds (probably due to price or not wanting thanksgiving style leftovers). Also because feed conversion suffers the longer you keep them.

I raise for my own use and for my family so I'm not too good at tracking expenses to know what my 'unit cost' is. I figure I'm into each bird for $7-8 a piece or so if I don't count housing costs. Mine live in tractors on pasture

 

[PluckyClucker99]

I did 28 CornishX this year. The CXs were processed in 2 batches one at 9weeks @6.5 lbs 'hanging weight' and 11weeks @ 9.5-10.5 lbs 'hanging weight'

Hanging weight means plucked, eviscerated, legs/necks/tails/wing tips removed and not including giblets.

I think the rule of thumb is you lose about 25% of live weight during processing. If you are selling them you should aim for the 4-6 lb processed weight as people seem to be turned off by the giant birds (probably due to price or not wanting thanksgiving style leftovers). Also because feed conversion suffers the longer you keep them.

I raise for my own use and for my family so I'm not too good at tracking expenses to know what my 'unit cost' is. I figure I'm into each bird for $7-8 a piece or so if I don't count housing costs. Mine live in tractors on pasture

Thank you so much, you've been very helpful! I think I will try to time the chick purchase so that the birds are between 4-6 lbs by auction time.

 

[KlopKlop]

Thank you so much, you've been very helpful! I think I will try to time the chick purchase so that the birds are between 4-6 lbs by auction time.

7-8 weeks should do then. And I also suggest you pay the extra $.30 per chick to get all cockerels so you don't have drastic size differences